Juniper Santiago - Book 2 of The Santiago Series

*TWENTY YEARS AGO*

Ophelia was walking around the castle, looking for the chef. For some reason, she couldn’t reach him since his mind-link was blocked to her, and she was having cravings. At the rate that she was going though, she was close to just heading to the kitchen to everything for herself.

Except she knew that her mate would have her head if she even tried to do such a thing.

Deciding to risk it either way, she wobbled on to the kitchen. She arrived and the kitchen staff that was around gave her knowing looks as she looked through the cupboards. They knew that she was going to find what she was looking for and that no one could stop her.

“My lovely mate, what are you doing?” Rixon asked her.

“Nothing,” she mumbled, her head inside the fridge.

Rixon sighed. “Phi, come out of the fridge please.”

“Nope. You’re going to kill me if I do,” she said knowingly.

“You’re not dying by my hand. Now would you please come out of the fridge? I’m sure all this cold isn’t good for the baby,” he commented.

“I wasn’t going to come here you know,” she said, leaving the fridge with a piece of chicken in her one hand, and cake in her other.

The kitchen staff was amused as they watched Rixon massage his temples. “I don’t even have the words.”

“Good! I didn’t want to hear them,” she beamed. A few of the staff laughed, making her laugh too.

“Please come and take your nap,” Rixon requested.

“Can I finish my cake first?” she bargained.

“Finish it on our way to our chambers,” he replied before picking her up.

She squealed and giggled, a sight the staff appreciated. They didn’t think the moment could get any sweeter, until he kissed her cheek before they left the kitchen. She was enjoying her piece of cake, and he was enjoying watching her eat it.

She’d been asleep for a couple of hours when she started tossing and turning uncomfortably. Rixon had joined her because he wanted to take a break from his work. He woke up to find her hands settled on her stomach, with her whimpering and sweating heavily.

“Anika, get here immediately!” he linked his mate’s doctor.

Anika arrived in seconds, just as Ophelia’s eyes shot open from the first contraction. “Breathe my Queen.”

“Am I going into labour?” Ophelia questioned.

“It looks like it. Your Highness, how long has she been like this?” Anika asked.

“It’s only been a few minutes,” Rixon responded.

Anika smiled. “Ok good! That means we have time to fully prep. You’re going to be experiencing some pains soon, but I need you to be strong for me and hold on as long as you can.”

Ophelia had nodded at the time, but her son had different plans altogether. It wasn’t long that she was screaming the castle down. She was threatening to behead anyone who was telling her to breathe or remain calm in some way.

Something Anika wasn’t afraid of.

The doctor understood that the Queen was speaking merely from pain, and that her words weren’t to be taken seriously in the moment. When Ophelia broke one of the doors from pain, they figured she was ready to push.

Not that the pushing was enjoyable for anyone.

They all found some comic relief when the King passed out. Even Ophelia had stopped screaming and instead found herself releasing a tired giggle from seeing him faint. He’d been so excited for the birth of his son, but he seemingly couldn’t stomach it.

When the Prince’s cries pierced the room, Rixon jumped up, once again making everyone laugh. Anika had the Prince cleaned up before handing him over to his parents. No one in the room could miss the love that the little one was getting from his parents.

“He’s so beautiful,” Ophelia whispered.

“Our son, our heir,” Rixon said proudly.

“Well my King, what is his name?” Ophelia asked.

“Anthony Luca Wolff,” Rixon announced.

***

Anastasia touched her mate’s shoulder softly, bringing him out of thought. He brought her hand up to his mouth to kiss it, before bringing her around so that she could sit on his lap. She laughed when he put his head in the crook of her neck, and he looked up at her, smiling.

“What are you thinking about?” she asked, cupping his cheek.

“Too many things,” he answered.

“Tell me some of those things,” she requested.

He put his chin on her shoulder. “I’m thinking about how different my life would’ve been had I not been kidnapped. I would’ve grown up with my rightful family, in my rightful home. My people would know me and I’d probably be King by now.”

“Do you want to be King?” she asked him.

“I want to protect my people. Whether that involves being a king or not is debatable, but right now, I just want to fight for my kingdom,” he said.

“Are you saying that you want to fight Mateo?” she asked sceptically.

“I’m saying that I want my people to be protected from evil,” he replied cryptically.

“Ok, let me rephrase. Do you think Mateo is evil?” she asked.

He shrugged. “I don’t think he’s in his right mind.”

“Would you be if you lost me to another man?” she questioned.

He growled lowly. “You’re not going anywhere.”

“Of course not, but I’m trying to make you understand that Mateo is still our friend. He’s just hurt,” she pointed out.

“So, hurting other people is justified because he’s hurt? What does that achieve?” he argued.

“Just put yourself in his shoes. That’s all I ask, especially since everyone else probably feels the same way that you do about this,” she hinted.

“Are you saying that you want me to lead them away from thinking of Mateo in a bad light?” he caught on.

“I’m saying you should lead where you can, period,” she replied.

“You’re asking a lot of me here,” he admitted.

“I’m asking nothing more of you than to think about the fact that if you were in his shoes, you’d probably be the same, if not worse. You’re a royal Alpha, so just keep all of that in mind before you go and make someone who protected you, your enemy,” she said.

“Protected me…” he trailed off, lost in thought.

“Babe, what are you thinking about?” she asked him.

“Zeus is my supposed guardian, so I don’t think he could possibly hurt me, except why would Mateo want to be King, if he’s supposed to be watching over the future King?” he questioned.

“None of us know why Mateo is King right now, and until we know his reasons, I don’t think it’s fair for any of us to judge or write him off. Let’s give it time and understand what’s going on before we find ourselves waging war with someone a lot of people already consider unstable,” she advised.

He found himself smiling. “You’re going to make a wonderful Queen.”

“Why thank you my King,” she blushed before kissing him.

Elsewhere in the castle, the newly mated couple had just walked into one of the vacant rooms as Aerie had requested to talk to her mate before they do anything or go anywhere. She needed to find out where they stand before they venture off into any missions.

Except now that they were alone together, she had no idea where to begin.

Max could sense her anxiety once the door was closed, so he took the lead on the situation, reaching out to hold her hand. Her breathing hitched at the sparks that flowed through them, and he couldn’t help but smile.

“Hi,” he said softly.

She knew that she’d reddened, but she returned a shy smile, entwining their fingers. “Hi.”

“I’m Max,” he introduced.

“Aerie,” she tittered.

“A beautiful name for a beautiful girl,” he charmed.

He was astounded when she rolled her eyes. “Gee, you must be a lady killer.”

His laughter filled the room, sending an unexpected shiver of delight through her. “You’re not easily charmed, are you?”

“Oh, I am – just not by corny, overused lines like that. You’ve got to be original,” she argued.

“Fair enough. I’m really sorry about the way I left. I didn’t expect to find you at the time I did, and I was so mesmerized from watching you fight, that I knew I’d make an idiot out of myself if I tried to talk to you then,” he explained.

She fought off a blush and instead smirked. “Technically, I found you.”

“You know what I mean,” he laughed.

“I get it. I didn’t expect to meet you either, but given everything I’ve found out since I’ve been here, I can understand why it was such a shock for you on top of everything,” she replied.

He sighed. “Everything is a mess and everyone’s looking to me for answers I don’t have.”

She picked up something in his tone. “Except there’s something you’re hiding from everyone. You’re not as entirely clueless as you’re making yourself come across.”

“I’m going to attribute that observation to our bond,” he commented.

She lifted a shoulder. “Call it what you will.”

“I can’t just trust anyone with everything – not when there’s evil lurking,” he explained.

“And does everyone include me?” she asked.

She was a little shaken when he hesitated. “It does?”

“I know what you are.”

The five words had her completely knocked for six as she pulled her hand away from his, stepping away from him. None of the people in the castle had been able to pick up on what she was, and deep down, she knew that even with their mate bond, he shouldn’t have been able to tell.

Max watched her carefully – he watched the different emotions pass through her eyes. He had lied to Roman, Rose and Draxlon when he’d said he didn’t know what she was. He just didn’t think anyone deserved to know; or at least not yet.

He could hear her heartbeat accelerating with every moment. He knew that he was probably the only one to have figured out what she is, and it made him that much more curious about where she’d been her whole life.

“How?” she finally whispered after a long silence.

Her mate had waited for her to calm down.

“Let’s just say I’m stumbling upon new powers as I go. I saw right through the spell placed on you, so you can understand my hesitance. However, you’re the last person I want to shut out,” he replied.

“But if you know what I am, then you know the danger,” she pointed out.

“True, but I also believe in you,” he countered.

“You have no reason to,” she argued.

He grabbed both her hands this time, pulling her closer to him. “On the contrary my powerful little minx – I have every reason to. You’re my mate and there’s no better reason than that.”

Her cheeks tinged, something that her fierce side was scolding her for. She knew that the pull between mates was instant, but she never expected to feel what she felt in the moment. She’d always been so stubborn, and yet her mate had the power to turn her to mush.

While it probably didn’t look it on the outside, Max was terrified on the inside. He couldn’t understand the power of the pull between him and Aerie, but he knew that he trusted it above all things – trusted that when the time came, their bond would trump any obstacles or evil against them.

“If they find out what I am, I doubt they’ll be as accepting as you are. Everyone is on edge as it is, and you can tell that right now they only accept me because I’m your mate,” she said softly.

He reached out to caress her cheek – a touch she unsuspectingly leaned into. “It doesn’t matter now. I will never reject or abandon you. The timing of our meeting is obviously a huge sign on fate’s behalf, but I still believe that we can beat this.”

She held his hand to her cheek, savouring the moment. “You do realize what you’re saying right? This could be catastrophic! I had a feeling about this. The Elders warned me that this particular mission might go awry. Hell, I’m not even supposed to be her-”

She could feel her nerve endings prickling as warmth quickly spread through her. Fireworks exploded in her brain, and all she could register was him – her mate. His arms wrapped around her as he deepened their kiss, only for him to jump away from her as an electric current shot through him.

She giggled. “That’s new.”

“You know, I thought you were cute when you were rambling, but if I knew I’d be electrocuted for kissing you, I might’ve waited for a time where I would be better armed,” he joked.

She laughed before kissing him softly. “It’s a lot Max. I’ve carried this weight my whole life, hidden from the world.”

He wrapped his arms around her once more, moving her now red hair away from her eyes. “And I’m telling you that you no longer have to carry the weight alone. You’re powerful Aerie, but I’m also powerful myself.”

“Is this your way of saying that you’re stronger than me?” she challenged.

His laughter bounced off the walls in the room and all she could do was watch him. She admired how sincere everything was about their bonding; as though there was nothing else going on around them.

“It’s my way of saying I have no idea what I’m dealing with here since I’ve only had my powers for a short while, but I’m hoping that you’ll be there for me like I’ll be there for you,” he smiled.

“Even when things might go south?” she questioned vulnerably.

“More so then,” he confirmed, kissing her forehead.

She was silent for a long time, listening to his heartbeat, before she spoke again. “You can’t have me all to yourself though.”

He pulled back, eyebrows drawn together. “And why not?”

“Because everyone else needs us. June needs your help, and as much of a loon as these people think I am, I’m a distraction for them. I also help them to think outside the box and I think that they need that right now,” she elaborated.

“I want badly to deny that you’re right,” he commented.

“I want badly to be wrong, but you said it yourself, our meeting, but more importantly our pairing, is significant to whatever is looming. We both know it, and we both know that we can’t do nothing about it,” she pointed out.

He breathed in deeply. “When will this whole thing be over?”

“I have no idea, but I do know that you are the greatest hope we all have given all your secrets and what not,” she responded teasingly.

He shot her a look. “Like I said, trust.”

“I know, I know. Where are we starting first?” she asked.

“There’s so much to get to, that I truly don’t know where to start. I think this is the part where you step in,” he responded.

She rolled her eyes, smirking. “How have you survived this long without me?”

“That’s just the thing, I haven’t,” he replied cheekily.

She laughed, shaking her head. “Alright smartass, let’s look at the big players here, and take it from there in order of importance.”

“I guess that could work. So, we have the whole June and Marissa thing, the Mateo and his imposter thing, and I guess the twins,” he said thoughtfully.

“The twins?” she questioned.

He nodded. “I personally think that they should be taken to Mateo. Marissa doesn’t acknowledge them as her own, so I at least think they should be with the parent who at the moment will take care of them. Rose figures that the magic in the Underworld is going to make that bit difficult, so we need to figure that out. In the meantime, Zak and Avan are watching over them.”

At the mention of her friends, she beamed, before scowling. “Wait! You met them? And what do you mean they’re watching over the twins.”

“Uh, yeah, I met them. They were quite upset with me for leaving you the way I did and they basically pushed me into heading back. They’re watching over the twins because like I said, Marissa cares nothing for them, and they were crying the castle down, until those two idiots made their presence around them. With the twins responding so well to them and them alone, we figured that they shall be their guardians until otherwise communicated,” he explained.

She raised an eyebrow. “And surely you find that suspicious.”

“I do, without a doubt. The two of them fear nothing, which is weird for humans. Humans fear even the weakest supernaturals simply because of the power shift, but those two don’t fear even one of us. However, I trust them, so figuring them out isn’t high up on my list of worries right now,” he replied.

“Fair enough. I feel the same, especially with them being my friends. I also can’t believe that they actually succeeded in getting to you,” she teased.

He chuckled. “Trust me. None of us were ready for those two, and I have a feeling that we’re still going to be taken on an adventure where they’re concerned.”

“Alright, that covers the twins, leaving the mates. Anything else?” she questioned.

He suddenly looked nervous. “My parents?”

“Your parents?” she asked unsurely.

“How much do you know about me from being around these people?” he asked.

She thought about it. “Not much. I know that you’ve only recently gotten your witch side, and I know that they believe it’s because you have Oden’s spirit in you.”

He frowned. “Who’s Oden?”

“Odezzia’s and Odessa’s brother. The three of them are triplets I believe, except Odessa killed Oden. Everyone believes that Oden’s spirit found you and lives in Millen, which in it’s own twisted way explains why your wolf’s name is Oden. I don’t really get it, but the look on your face is worrying me,” she said when she realized the grimness that had overtaken his features.

“Aerie, Oden is my uncle,” he stated.

Her eyes widened. “That would make you Odezzia’s son.”

He nodded. “I had a vision of my parents; of the day they split. Odessa had attacked them with the intention of hurting my mother while she was still pregnant with me. Long story short, she failed, but my father decided that it would be best if the two of them split up. What I don’t know is where each of them are, and how I ended up at Vistas.”

“Do you know who your father is? Maybe finding him is the answer?” she suggested.

He shook his head. “I doubt it. I only know that his name is Ramsey, and he’s a werewolf – an Alpha if I’m not mistaken. I’m also guessing that Odessa may know where he is.”

She smoothed out the lines on his forehead. “What makes you say that?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know – call it a hunch.”

“Ok, so we need to find your parents too. Everyone is looking for a way to find your mom to ask her about the possibility of Oden being Millen, but I guess you’re looking for her for a different reason entirely,” she said knowingly.

He nodded once more. “I think we need to go to Vistas to speak to the Elders. I need to ask them about my arrival there. I’m confident that aside from thinking I’m dead, the people I grew up calling my parents, won’t tell me the truth.”

“You mean you’ve always known that they weren’t your parents?” she enquired.

“That’s exactly it. I mean don’t get me wrong or anything, I love them and I appreciate everything they did for me, but I always felt like there was something missing. It took Rose showing me the light to confirm that I was right all along,” he explained.

She smiled at him. “Well, I’m on board with everything, but I think we should keep the part about your parents a secret for now.”

“I agree. We’ll start at Vistas for some answers from the Elders, and then head to the Werewolf Castle to talk to Mateo. I can only hope that Roman’s got things under control back in the Underworld,” he noted.

In the said place, the Demon King couldn’t understand where his mate had disappeared to. All he knew was that her powers had significantly grown if she could hide from him in the very place where he grew up.

He’d been searching for her when he stumbled across a door that was locked. He couldn’t recall ever seeing the door, and he couldn’t understand why it was locked to begin with. He tried to open it, but wasn’t getting anywhere.

He had to use his full demon strength to break it down.

Inside, the room was covered in dust and spider webs, but he could make everything out clearly, despite the darkness. Using one of his powers, he created a fire in the palm of his hand and looked for something he could light up. On the side, leaning against the wall, was a torch, which was perfect for his intention.

With the torch lit, the room was that much brighter. It was filled with pieces of old furniture, seemingly from different eras, as well as the clothing to match. There were even art pieces, and he wasn’t sure what the room was for, until his eyes landed on a red dress that had him travelling back in time.

*FLASHBACK*

They were having a ball, and his Queen was running around the castle, rushing to make sure everything was ready. With her using her best speed, it was damn near impossible for him to catch up with her – or for anyone else to for that matter.

She was the very epitome of ‘here, there, and everywhere’.

He finally caught up with her as she was discussing having flowers brought down from the human world. He wrapped his arms around her waist just as she was about to take off, and she squealed, giggling in his hold.

“I haven’t seen my Queen in two days now,” he whispered in her ear. He smirked when she shivered.

“I don’t have time for my King right now. We’re expecting guests,” she reminded.

“I’m well aware of that my love, but I’m also sure that I have a very untrusting mate,” he taunted.

She scowled. “What? What are you talking about?”

“You’ve given all these people tasks, but you’re not letting them carry them out in peace,” he pointed out.

“I would let them if they were actually doing what I requested,” she defended.

“You also haven’t given them the space to do what you’ve requested and prove themselves,” he argued.

Her pale cheeks flushed crimson as she blushed. “I guess you’re right.”

She squeaked as he picked her up. “Which is why I’m taking you away until they’re done.”

She didn’t have time to protest as he carried them to their room where he made love to her well until the time of the ball. She wanted to be mad at him, but she was too sated to, and she knew he didn’t regret a single thing.

“I might have to keep you locked up in here.”

She was getting ready for the ball, dressed in a magnificent red ball gown that had been gifted to her by the light faeries. It fit her to perfection, and it brought out the red in her eyes, which he could see in the mirror as she combed out her snowy hair.

“You will do no such thing! You’ve had your way with me, and now we have guests to attend to,” she scolded as she stood up.

He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her. “I know that my love. I just can’t picture having to share you with anyone.”

“And you won’t. My heart belongs to you and only you Tagoromaen Daemon,” she smiled.

“And so does mine with you Marionessa Daemon,” he returned the smile before kissing her.

***

Roman stood there, confused. He could vividly remember living through the memory, except he couldn’t understand how. He also couldn’t understand who Marionessa was, and most importantly, why she looked a lot like Marissa.

Just as he was mulling over the vision, he turned to the side to find a mirror, and his reflection stunned him more so. Looking back at him wasn’t his demon form, but rather the form that he hadn’t seen in years.

The form that looked exactly like Mateo Santiago.

Looking back at him was a man with white dishevelled hair, and piercing red eyes. The last time he’d seen this form was when he turned sixteen, and no one understood why he stayed in his demon form since. Instead, they accepted his choice and moved on with their lives.

They didn’t know that not even he knew how to change back.

His thoughts drifted back to the cave in Scandinavia, when Mateo had come running in. He’s the Demon King who knows all, and while he knew about the great Mateo Santiago, until that moment, he hadn’t known what the man looked like.

And when he finally laid eyes on him, he understood that fate was at play.

Marissa recognized him as her mate, and he realized that it probably had everything to do with the fact that he and the greatest werewolf alive, are doppelgangers. In that moment, he also pieced together that the man who people claimed was Mateo’s imposter, was probably not an imposter after all.

He hadn’t told anyone about any of this, choosing only to tell Max about the fact he looked like Mateo – even if he couldn’t prove it at the time. The young hybrid had been shocked, but it had made more sense to him than a whole lot of the confusion that was around them.

He thought back to his memory – particularly to the names in his memory; Tagoromaen and Marionessa Daemon. Tagoromaen sounded a lot like Roman, and Marionessa sounded a lot like Marissa.

With that thought in mind, he blew out the torch, changed back into his demon form, before hunting down his mate. He was more determined to find her than he’d been before. He walked down a passage just as she was leaving one of the unused rooms.

“That’s where you’ve been,” he commented.

“Not that you bothered looking for me,” she sniffed, wiping away a tear.

“I have spent the past ten hours doing just that, but you were completely hidden from me. I don’t know how that’s possible, but it doesn’t matter. I need to ask you something important,” he said.

“What is it?” she asked.

He was about to speak when one of the servants of the castle rushed to him. “Your Highness, we have an emergency.”

He glared at her when she wasn’t speaking. “Well? What is it?”

The woman nervously shot Marissa a look. “Speak!”

“Your Highness, the babies, the babies are gone,” she stammered.

“Gone? What do you mean gone?” he asked.

“I wanted to check on the princess and the Prince of Atlantis, but I couldn’t find them, so I decided to look for the babies because we hadn’t heard them crying in a while. I can’t find them anywhere. We have all searched the entire castle,” she explained.

Roman tried to sense the babies out only to find that he couldn’t find them either.

“You can’t find my children?” a new voice spoke.

Roman turned to her, stunned to see the white hair and red eyes gone, replaced by the cerulean eyes and raven hair he’d first seen on her. “June?”

“Wrong,” she growled.

Star.

“Your Highness, we don’t know where else to look,” the servant panicked, while Juniper was struggling to keep Star from shifting.

“June, you need to keep her calm,” Roman linked her.

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen. She’s already won.”

And with those words, Starlet made her appearance known, releasing a growl so feral, that it split the passage as the Demon King looked on in a little fear – knowing that not even he could stop what was coming next.